Don Cram

Use as before clauses and phrases. Like modifies nouns and pronouns.

My car is like hers.
Her baby smells good, as a baby should.

The distinction comes to my mind every time I see “Fifteen Items of Less” at a grocery store. It should be “Fifteen Items of Fewer.” Albertsons is the only market I have seen that has it right.

“His problems are less than mine” means the size of my difficulties exceeds the size of his.
“His problems are fewer than mine” means my problems are more numerous without regard to the size of any individual problem.

A duck or a movie lays an egg (transitive).
The duck or the producer may then lie down (intransitive).
The past tense of lie is lay.

Lie, lay, lain, lying
Lay, laid, laid, laying